Route Development & Rumours

[Paulsstrange]

Krakow.....Finnair to announce ??

Surely its been rumoured this is it either its happening or not.....

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Krakow.....Finnair to announce ??

Krakow ?

Wouldn't Finnair fly to Helsinki ?

Kevin

 

[jfy1999]

I'd like to see some more potential Thomson routes added to that lot, maybe Aruba, Phuket, Puerto Vallarta, Goa or even Mauritius.

 

[Butty]

Mrs TLY and I flew to Vancouver a couple of times during the 1990s. We used KLM from Bristol via Amsterdam.

British Columbia is a superb visitor destination with its main city also offering so much. Alberta is also easily reached by car or train - the Rocky Mountaineer is one of the world's foremost railway experiences.

Agree with Vancouver. One of the world's great cities. As is Boston which I think will happen. Add to the list South Africa. I wonder if South America will ever be discussed. Maybe some charters to Rio by 2020?

 

[jfy1999]

Not exactly BHX related but I noticed that Delta, American and United have canned 25 international routes between them, including some very high-profile services. I find myself wondering where the aircraft will be re-allocated

Routes Delta are dropping include ATL-DXB, LAX-LHR and EWR-LHR

Routes American are dropping include MIA-FRA, PHL-TLV, and ORD-MEX

Routes United are dropping include IAD-DXB and IAD-KWI

http://www.anna.aero/2016/04/20/american-delta-uniteds-25-international-route-droppings/

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there ray, I completely agree with you regarding this BA saga that's continuing to be talked about by others, the true of the matter, was when BA decided to pull out of Birmingham altogether, there excuse was not making profit and loss making, instead of the truth, that we are soley only interested in focusing our business on Heathrow, Gatwick, ie- terminal 5 at heathrow which is BA territory, this is where BA only want to focus there full attention on, with an airport hub like Heathrow that's almost at breaking point 99.89% I think, which to me is a dangerous situation for Heathrow to be in. Even Gatwick isn't any better, so while PM decides on whether hes going to allow runway 3 at heathrow after elections in May 2016, that's of course if he does decide to allow heathrow to build runway 3, then its been reported that several ministers in his cabinet will probably resign ,and half a dozen to a dozen MP's may resign in protest...So if the go ahead is given, then its another five years for any inquiry to be held, possibily 2031 before any construction may begin. So until then Birmingham has to move on forward and try to attract as many new and more airlines that it possibly can, trying to push past 15, 20 or even 25 million passengers before any 3 runway is built...lets just wait and see.....Andyc.

 

[Brummiegem]

I think you should forget about BAW Andrew.
I also think BHX need not worry about LHR for the short to medium term either.
I think it has been said before that if we can keep hold of airlines like Vueling then a route network from BHX can become reality.
The biggest problem in my opinion is how do we get all those pax who travel elsewhere to use BHX instead.
Is it cost of flights.Is it getting to the airport itself putting them off,or,is it that they don't know what BHX has to offer.
Whatever the reason if we can get back some of these people then rest assured passenger numbers at BHX will not only increase,but also encourage further growth from current and new airlines.Maybe then BAW will regret it's past decisions.I for one won't be losing any sleep over it though,as it is one airline we just don't need.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Is it cost of flights.Is it getting to the airport itself putting them off,or,is it that they don't know what BHX has to offer.

I think it's the last one.

Despite all of the advertising that has been done recently there are still numerous stories of people travelling to other airports to fly to the likes of Dubai, Istanbul and New York. The common theme seems to be that they didn't know that these were available from Birmingham.

We've also had many, many years of huge holes in the route map and many will just have got used to using other airports and airlines. Breaking habits is difficult and takes time.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Norwegian have switched their Rome base from Norwegian Air Shuttle to Norwegian Air International and plan to grow it by 40% per year for several years. With the switch it looks as if a big part of that growth will be long haul but there is sure to be some Euro expansion also.

Many are hoping that Vueling would eventually give Monarch some competition but I'd be happy to see Norwegian on the route?

 

[Brum X]

On top of that Ray, i would love to see another flag carrier (ALITALIA) to grace our tarmac on the BHX-Rome route.

I remember when they did BHX-Milan for 1 season only ;-( but things have changed since then. However i dont think they are in the best financial situation at the moment.

 

[jfy1999]

Interestingly Ryanair now fly to FCO and MXP, so if they intend to fly to Rome and Milan from BHX in the future, I would like to see them use the main airport at each and not BGY or CIA. Don't think that's likely though.

I couldn't see Alitalia starting BHX but Norwegian and Vueling are both in with a shout and I would prefer either of those to Ryanair.

 

[JENNYJET]

I also believe the LHR has that other pull factor...LONDON itself. When I had to use Sri Lankan to get to Colombo Heathrow was the only direct and nonstop option since Lufthansa and Swiss were more expensive to use from BHX.

The costs added to flying local connecting flights via FRANCE, CDG, etc. made a day in London, the tourist stuff and flying out of T4 made better sense to me.

Currently, BHX lacks the longhaul gems that LGW takes for granted with TUI et al whilst MAN gets more long haul leisure flights across to the Western USA with Virgin/Delta.

As for getting to BHX from the area south of Oxford, we have 2 trains per hour from Euston to Birmingham International and a short shuttle to the terminal about 60 minutes traveling time even before HS2. , the M25 links to M40/42 not as arduous as people imagine. It simply needs people to think of the alternative to the impersonal rough house that London and Heathrow can be to the relative serenity that BHX can offer to travelers once the routes people want, when they want them become available to them.

More point to point US city pairs instead of connections via Newark would be a good start and the B787 can do it now when previous aircraft needed a technical stop.

We now have the premium eastern routes, the Mediterranean is well served so let us push for better services west and southern Africa and South America. This is why people do not think of BHX, and choose LHR/LGW/MAN.

I am sorry but something needs to be done about getting the routes first before trying to get the passengers.

 

[richard winterbourn]

My main interest is South America, and in particular, Brazil a country i visit at least twice a year. My last visit in March was by taking a well-trodden path ie 0600 KLM to Amsterdam and then Amsterdam to Rio.

However on this occasion it was clear that the 787 was nowhere near full. I do not know whether business was chokka but in premium there was plenty of room.

That made me think, first laterally, and then in specific terms. Often at BHX i ask how many pax will be transitting like me at Amsterdam for Rio and the answer is often 7 or more. Add to this the number of people on a daily basis who will be Rio bound via Frankfurt, Paris, Madrid etc and the daily total probably increases considerably.

What therefore, and thinking of direct links to Rio, is the possibility of KLM using 5th Freedom to establish a service to Rio via BHX? Singapore Airlines, i think, use 5th Freedom for their service to Manchester which is via Munich.

If this were possible it could establish the first direct link to South America from BHX and at the same time servicing one of the fastest growing markets in the world. And it would be a service that would develop, i feel sure.

How good would that look on the departure board at Brum - Rio de Janeiro.....

 

[JENNYJET]

.....and invite KLM to create a AMS-BHX-SXM offering onwards to Curacao or Rio using B747-400 then all you spotters can have your skin singed by jet thrust on Maho beach!

 

[jfy1999]

I'd say we have more chance of seeing a BA base than of seeing KLM long haul flights route via BHX. Thomson could fly direct to SXM with their 787, I'm surprised they don't have any flights there. I don't see any reason why they couldn't start SXM in the future. They already fly to Aruba, another Dutch overseas colony.

 

[Ray Finkle]

KLM will get feed onto their long haul from all over the UK and Europe. If they stopped en route to Rio at every destination that supplies a few pax then it would take a hell of a long time. It's why they have 6 flights per day into BHX as well as many from other airports, to feed the hub.

Singapore is slightly different as MAN is down route from the hub, so they get pax from the UK and Germany into SIN, many of whom probably then connect onto the likes of AUS.

 

[nwoody2001]

Well if you want to go to Rio, my advice for you would be to support new BHX routes and opt for Iberia Express and go via MAD!!!

 

[Ray Finkle]

Not that I'm reading too much into it but it's interesting that BHX are currently hosting a delegation from the Changi Airport Group.

 

[richard winterbourn]

Nwoody2001

I do support BHX by utilising KLM. I choose KLM because with their 0600 daily flight i can transit in Amsterdam and be in Rio early evening and catch internal flights with partner airline GOL. I've looked at other options but this seems the most time effective.

However, as i have said before, if TAP were to join us by offering Lisbon that would could well be an even better option as the flight time from Lisbon to Rio is considerably less than the 11 hours plus from Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt or Madrid.

 

[jfy1999]

Not that I'm reading too much into it but it's interesting that BHX are currently hosting a delegation from the Changi Airport Group.

Mmmmmm....I'd have thought they would have been talking to the airline if they wanted to get flights started, but then perhaps they've been talking to both.

However, as i have said before, if TAP were to join us by offering Lisbon that would could well be an even better option as the flight time from Lisbon to Rio is considerably less than the 11 hours plus from Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt or Madrid.

Didn't someone say TAP were on the point of signing up to BHX and then changed their minds? What was behind that decision?